Strawberry Protector
by Crystal Maygin
Summary: They met on a day filled with tragedy when he was young. He had lost something precious that day but gained a powerful protector and loyal friend. But time, Shinigami, Visoreds, and traitors would stretch their friendship to the limit. Follow their journey from grieving boy and rejected hollow to Substitute Shinigami and Vasto Lorde.
1. Chapter 1: The Day It All Began

Strawberry Protector

Chapter 1: The Day It All Began

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Summary: They met on a day filled with tragedy when he was young. He had lost something precious that day but gained a powerful protector and loyal friend. But time, Shinigami, Visoreds, and traitors would stretch their friendship to the limit. Follow their journey from grieving boy and rejected hollow to Substitute Shinigami and Vasto Lorde.

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The sky was shrouded in black clouds and rain was coming down fast and furious on the day he arrived in town. In fact, it appeared as if it had been raining that relentlessly for a number of days now. The river that ran nearby had long overflown beyond its banks. Why would his target come to such a miserable looking place? Whatever, doesn't matter. All he had to do was locate the guy and find out what he came here to learn in the first place. Now, where...

A cry from nearby drew his attention to a young boy with bright orange hair. The child was running towards the rushing river. But why would the kid do that? He looked over to the flooded river where the child had set his gaze. Near the raging river stood what appeared to be a young girl. No, wait... Upon taking a closer look he could see a form just behind the girl. It was Grand Fisher... His target.

Didn't Grand Fisher come here for some kind of mission? Maybe the deadly hollow wanted a snack before he got started. Either way, this boy was clearly running right into Grand Fisher's trap. He felt bad for the kid. But he wasn't about to tango with someone like Grand Fisher, he was in no way strong enough to even think about it.

Another, though older, yell once again drew his eyes back towards the road that the boy had come from. It was a young woman and she was calling out to the child. Yelling for him to come back, but the boy didn't listen.

The child had reached Grand Fisher's lure by this point. The boy went to grab what he seemed to think was a girl in trouble, but she vanished the moment his hand came near. Then he lost his footing and started to fall towards the river. Towards Grand Fisher...

A few different things happened all at once at that point. The woman grabbed the boy just as a blinding flash of lightning lit up the sky and a deafening roar of thunder filled the ears of everyone present.

And Grand Fisher made his move...

Even though it was mere moments, it felt like hours before he could see again. And once he could, he quickly noticed that Grand Fisher was gone. The woman was now on the ground in a slowly growing pool of blood. The boy lay underneath her, wrapped up within her arms. It was plainly obvious that the woman was dead. She had given her life to protect one small child. He'd never seen anything like this before. Then again, he had never left the sand filled lands of Hueco Mundo up till now.

He should have been going after Grant Fisher, he might still be able to catch up with the hollow. But he could not take his eyes off the gruesome sight before him, the scene replaying within his mind. A bit of movement drew his eyes to the boy; it seemed the child was finally starting to react to the situation. The boy pulled himself out from underneath the woman and started calling to her and when that didn't work he started trying to shake her. It was obvious to the observer that the kid had yet to comprehend that she was gone.

The observer began to move towards the boy, he was curious. Curious as to why this very woman would sacrifice her very life for this child. Was there something special about him? Or did she just care for him that much? And if so, what was it like to have someone care for you that much? Or was it something else entirely? Perhaps if he got to know this boy he would find the answers to these questions.

He approached quietly, not wanting to startle the boy and scare him off. But when he was just a few feet away, he accidentally kicked a rock. Despite the sound caused by the heavy rain pouring down on them, the boy still heard. The child's head snapped up and around to look at him, the boy's eyes widened.

The observer paused, taking that moment to truly look the boy over. Age wise, the child looked to be about eight or nine. He had short spiky orange hair that could stand out in any crowd. If not for the water running down his face, the tears he cried from those sad brown eyes would have been much more apparent. But at that moment, those eyes were staring at the being before him.

The boy had been told by his mother that there was no such things as monsters under the bed or in the closet. But there was certainly a monster standing before him and his mother was no longer there to chase away the scary things. The monster was very lizardlike in appearance, covered in bone white skin with red markings running along its body. Upon its face was a bone white mask with red streaks on the upper left side. From behind its mask running down its back was a wild mane of white hair. It was no bigger than a large dog but despite that it was still a fearsome sight.

The boy stared in stunned silence, he couldn't think, not after everything that happened. He had lost his mother and now this creature was standing before him. Finally, the beast started to move, but the boy found he could not, fear had taken hold. The monster held out a single clawed hand with the palm up as it crouched down low to the ground, as if it was trying to seem less threatening. Finally, it opened its mouth and started to speak in a strange echo like voice. "Don't be afraid kid. I won't hurt ya..." Once the creature was close enough to the boy, it gently placed its hand to the side of the boy's face.

The child finally met the gaze of the scary monster, but all he saw within the depths of those yellow and black eyes was kindness, a kindness that reminded him of his mother. Suddenly the creature wasn't so scary anymore; released from his paralyzed state the boy clung to the strange being and began crying anew. In response, the creature gently wrapped his arms around the boy and began to purr in what he hoped to be a comforting way. "There, there... It's all right..." He didn't know what to say to help comfort the boy. This was, after all, a new experience for him. So instead of speaking, he simply held the child close and continued to purr gently.

After a long moment of silence the boy finally spoke. "Mom is gone, isn't she?" As the child asked this he looked up to the creature and it silently nodded in reply. The boy stayed quiet for a few minutes after that. What he said next surprised and angered the fearsome looking being. "It's my fault mom is gone..."

A slight growl seeped out of the creature as he smacked the ground lightly with his tail producing a small thud, startling the child a bit. "Don't ya ever say somethin' like that! Because it's not true! Ya did nothin' wrong..." His golden yellow eyes fixed upon the form of the deceased mother. "Someone else was behind this..." He returned his gaze to the boy. "And one day we'll make him pay, I promise..." The child seemed to get some comfort from those words. _'What am I thinkin'... Me defeat Grand Fisher? HA! That's a laugh...' _He couldn't help but think to himself, he wasn't even sure why he made that promise. _'I'd have ta get a hell of a lot stronger if I'm gonna even have half a chance against a hollow like him. Let alone, actually takin' him down!' _He focused upon the child that was still within his grip. He could easily feel that the boy had a high amount of spiritual energy, VERY HIGH. _'Maybe with the right trainin'... Just maybe...'_

The boy shivered slightly within his grip while muttering. "I'm cold..." He realized at that moment that the kid was soaked from head to toe. And the fierce wind and rain that whipped around them wasn't helping matters any.

"Let's get ya home then. I'm sure yer dad is worried." He finally released the child from his grip, then pulled back to look at his face better. "So which way is yer home?" The boy pointed with his hand in a certain direction, it seemed like the kid was reverting back to being silent. "What's yer name?" He asked gently as he nudged the child in the direction indicated, while beginning to walk himself.

"Ichigo." Was the only response the orange haired child gave him. But the boy named Ichigo did grab the creature's hand with his own. It was obvious the kid desired the touch of another during this hard time.

"Well then Ichigo, let's get ya some place warm and dry." He said as he gently gripped the small hand within his own.

"You won't leave me will you?" The question startled him, he just met the kid and yet Ichigo was already afraid of him leaving.

"Nah... I ain't goin' anywhere." Ichigo smiled ever so slightly at this._ 'Not like I have anywhere ta go...' _He thought in silence, in reality, the lizardlike creature had no home. But he wasn't about to tell the kid that. Besides he didn't want to go anywhere, he wanted to know more about the boy named Ichigo. Little did he know that he'd be in for one crazy ride...

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And here is the start of Strawberry Protector! Now that I've started school my writing is going to be slowed down a LOT... But I've been writing SP down during my free time at school then type it up later. I still plan to work on HFMH and BSI(with xBlue-Rosex) when I can. But for right now this "might" be the only one that will get updated a bit faster since I have a good amount of time a school for writing... Anyway! Please let me know what you guys think! Until next time! R&R please!


	2. Chapter 2: The One With No Name

Strawberry Protector

Chapter 2: The One With No Name

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

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He was completely alone, running along the flooded river bed even though he could only hear it. For whatever reason his visibility was poor, he was only able to see a few feet away from him in all directions, beyond that was nothing but darkness. Something was stalking him from within that black abyss even though it was beyond his sight and never made a single sound. He could feel that it was there and he knew he had to get away. There had to be somebody, anyone out there that could help him.

Suddenly he tripped and fell face first into the ground. As he placed his hand down to pick himself up, he felt something wet underneath the palm of his hand. Blinking slightly he looked down to see what the cause was, it was a pool of blood. He followed the trail it made with his eyes until they fell upon the source, the very thing he tripped over. His mother's dead body...

His eyes widened at the sight, her lifeless body was just lying there on the ground. Her glazed over eyes seemed to bore into his very soul, he couldn't bring himself to look away. The one person in all the world he wanted to protect. And he failed...

He was startled out of his stunned state by a sound coming from within the darkness. It was truly coming for him now... But wait! That lizard like creature would save him, right? It had come to his aid in a moment of deep depression and had led him home. Surely the creature would come to his aid again, wouldn't it?

But where was it? He allowed his gaze to wander around for quick moment but the creature in question was nowhere in sight. His eyes snap back to the source of his fear when he heard it move closer. Maybe he should try calling out to his unusual guardian. Surely the caring creature would come to his aid if he asked it to...

He opened his mouth to yell and paused, he suddenly realized he didn't know its name. How could he call for someone if he didn't know what to call them by?

He could just see the outline of his stalker now and he couldn't help but start to visibly shake. It was large and clearly not human. He could also see it's eyes now, it's large red glowing eyes. And they were looking right at him. Suddenly, it let loose a wail unlike anything he'd ever heard. He finally did the one thing he had yet to do... He screamed.

His eyes snapped open and he shot right up into a sitting position while breathing heavily. Ichigo's eyes darted around the room wildly, as the minutes past it started to sink in that it was all just a dream... Well more like a nightmare, but it was fading now. Then the reality of last night started to hit him.

Ichigo remembered the girl by the river. He vaguely recalled hearing his mother cry out to him then there was a gap in his memory. The next thing the young boy remembered seeing her unmoving body; it was still vivid within his mind. Then that strange but kind creature...

That's right! That lizard like creature had led him home, but after that Ichigo couldn't really remember much. He had been so out of it that everything was just a blur in his mind by that point...

But where was that odd being now? Ichigo glanced around his room, but it was nowhere to be seen. His heart dropped a bit more at that realization. It had said it would stay with him, maybe it meant long enough to get him home. Either way, its clearly gone now...

Ichigo reluctantly pulled himself out of bed; maybe if he went to school it would help get his mind off of everything that happened. He got dressed and grabbed his backpack, and then Ichigo quietly crept out of his room and down the stairs. He really didn't want to see his family at the moment; he couldn't face them just yet.

Soon enough, he was out the door and on his way. Ichigo made his way through town only half aware of his surroundings. The sound of running water brought him back to reality. Without meaning to, he had wandered to the river. Back to where it had happened...

They have long since removed his mother's body from the scene, even the blood had since been washed away. Not even a trace remained of the horrifying event or the gentle monster that he had met soon after.

Suddenly, Ichigo heard a sound almost right behind him and his nightmare came flooding back to the front of his mind. He turns his orange head of hair slowly to look over his shoulder. The first thing to greet his gaze was a scary bone white face that looked like a skull.

Jumping slightly, Ichigo let out a startled cry while stumbling away a step or two before falling onto his rear "Woah! Oi! Oi! Oi! There aren't nothin' ta be afraid of!" Came an equally surprised voice in response to his reaction. Upon hearing the familiar echoing voice the orange haired child truly look at the one that stood behind him.

It was the creature he had met just yesterday. The orange haired boy was silent for a moment, and then he quickly picks himself up and hugged the odd being. "Where did you go?" He questioned, on the verge of tears.

The creature couldn't help but blink at the child's words and actions. "Ah... Oi... I just had ta go out for a bit..." He said in way of explanation, Ichigo pulled back a bit to look at his masked face. "Ya were still asleep and I thought I'd back before ya woke up... Guess not, huh?" He gives a humorless chuckle. "Sorry. Did I give ya a scare there?"

Ichigo nodded his head slightly. "Yeah, but it's okay." He frowned ever so slightly as a question came to mind. "By the way, what you're name?"

The being glanced off to the side as he raised a hand to rub the back of his head. "I ain't gotta name." He admitted after a long moment of silence.

Blinking slightly, Ichigo tilted his head to the side as the frown on his face got a little bit bigger. "Didn't your mom and dad give you one?"

"Don't got any." The creature said with a shrug.

The frown on the boy's face grew even bigger at that news. "What about your friends? What do they call you?"

The being never knew what it was like to have friends. But he could think of one person who ever called him anything, sadly it wasn't much of a name. And he really wasn't interested in thinking of that person anymore, in fact he now found himself not wanting anything to do with them. "Ain't got no friends. No family. Nothin'." He finally answered with.

"That's not true!" Ichigo snaps at him, which caused the being to blink at the boy. "You have me." The child said firmly a slight nod of the head. A small smile crossed the creature's hidden lips. The boy folded his arms over his chest as he began to think. "A name... You need a name... But what?" Ichigo looked upon the being's white form and it hit him like a brick. "Shiro."

"What?"

"Your name will be Shiro." Ichigo declared with a slight nod of the head before explaining. "Cause you're mostly white... You don't like it, do you?" He asked with a slightly downcast expression.

The creature took a moment to allow the name to sink into his mind before answering. "Shiro, huh? I like it..." A small smile crossed Ichigo's face. Upon hearing those words. "Heh! And yer right! I am mostly white, so it does fit." The newly dubbed Shiro said with a chuckle. "So what were ya doin' out here?" Shiro asked while tilting his head to the side.

"I..." Ichigo turned his gaze to where his mother's body had laid just that night. "I was looking..."

"For what?"

He shook his head slightly before looking back to Shiro. "Doesn't matter anymore. Come on Shiro." Ichigo replies with as he began to walk along the river bank.

Shiro tilts his head to the side as he followed after. "Where we goin'?"

"No place special." Came the simple response.

"No idea, huh?"

"Nope."

"... Do ya have some place ya need ta be?"

"Yup."

"And yer not goin' there cause...?"

"Don't feel like it."

"Fair enough." Shiro followed in silence for some time after that, it was obvious that Ichigo was deep in thought and he didn't want to bug the kid. So he simply followed along and observed the child. Sometime later Ichigo finally stopped, then he crouched down. "Oi, ya okay? Ya've been walkin' for a while; maybe ya should stop and rest for a bit."

Ichigo shook his head as he picked himself back up. "I'm okay." And with that he started walking again. It went on like that for several hours, until finally... "Shiro?"

"Hmmm?"

"What are you?"

"Ah... Was wonderin' when ya'd ask that..." Shiro moved over to a large rock and hopped up onto it. He watched as Ichigo sat down on a nearby rock, then he settled down as he thought about how best to explain it. "I'm what's called a hollow."

"What's a hollow?" Ichigo interrupted with.

"Heh, if ya give me the chance I'll tell ya." Shiro informed him in a teasing manner.

"Sorry."

"Don't sweat it kid." He replies with before continuing. "A hollow is a spirit, kinda like a ghost."

"But I can't see ghosts." Ichigo said once again cutting in.

"Ah! But ya can! Ya just might not have known it!" Shiro says with a bit of a chuckle. He couldn't help but find some amusement in the fact that he, a 'hollow', was explaining this kind of stuff to spiritually aware human. Sure, Ichigo was just a kid but still someone should have been able to see that he has abilities by now. If so, why didn't they tell the kid? Well whatever the case, it was now left up to this hollow. "In fact, it's hard ta see hollows then it is ta see ghosts. Ya can see me clearly, can't ya?"

"I can see you as clearly as anyone else." Ichigo replied with a small shrug.

Shiro gave a small nod of the head at his words, then his eyes narrowed as he continued speaking. "Keep this in mind Ichigo, if ya ever, EVER see a creature with a mask and a hole in it's chest that isn't me, get away from it! FAST!"

Ichigo tilted his head to the side with a small frown. "Why?"

"Cause they'll kill ya, that's why." He told the kid bluntly.

"But why? I mean, you're not trying to kill me..." The orange haired boy couldn't comprehend what Shiro was trying to tell him. Shiro, after all, was one of these hollows and he wasn't trying to do anything harmful. Surely there were other friendly hollows.

"I'm different Ichigo, an outcast of my kind. Unwanted by those who could be called my kin." An angry growl escaped from Shiro and his tail flickered greatly in agitation as he remembered the things the other hollows would do to him. Shiro then returned his gaze to the small human child in front of him. This boy was the first being to ever except him, his anger faded quickly at that thought. There, in the world of the hollows, he had nothing, was nothing. But here he was slowly becoming something to this kid. He had to do what he could to protect this child, to prepare him for things to come. Whether it be with just intelligence or by teaching the kid how to fight. "Always remember Ichigo, hollows are monsters. They would sooner kill ya then make nice. Got it?"

Ichigo nodded his head slowly in response, he knew Shiro wasn't a monster and he was sure that's there had to be other hollows like him. A single thought brought all others to a complete stop. "Shiro... You said that someone else was behind... That someone else killed mom... Was it..." The hollow remained quiet as the boy put two and two together. "Was it a hollow?"

Shiro is silent for a few moments more, until finally. "Ya really want me ta answer that?" But that was all the answer that Ichigo needed.

A look of determination crossed the boy's face and Shiro couldn't help but blink slightly at the change. "I wanna get stronger! No..." Ichigo shook his head. "I HAVE to get stronger! Can you help me Shiro? Help me become strong enough to be anyone!"

Shiro simply stared at first, then he threw his head back and burst out into laughter, his mask mouth opened to reveal the mouth underneath. "HAHAHA! Now that's the kinda spirit I like ta see! I'll teach ya everythin' I can kid! I'll even teach ya the best ways ta attack a hollow!" Ichigo smiled at his new friend and now teacher. And somehow, he knew that Shiro was smiling back. "Ya better be ready kid, this ain't gonna be easy!"

"Right! Can we start now?" Ichigo was obviously anxious to get started.

Another laugh erupted from the hollow as he hopped off the rock. "Sure kid! But ya might wanna take off that bag, it's only gonna slow ya down!" In response, Ichigo quickly took off his backpack and set it on the ground. "Okay! Come at me with everythin' ya got!"

"Huh? Why?" The boy asked in confusion.

"Are ya questionin' yer mentor? DO IT!" Shiro snapped at him, Ichigo shook his head as a look of determination once again crossed his face. He charged at Shiro with a battle cry... And was quickly thrown onto his back. Shiro let out a sigh, his tail flickering back and forth. "I have a lot of work ahead of me... Oh well! Get yer butt up and try again!" And thus began Shiro's training lessons.

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And that's it for this chapter. Sorry it's been a few months since I updated anything but school and work have been kicking my butt lately! Anyway, to answer a question that Kanrei asked a while ago, no not everyone can see him. Like in the show and manga only those with spiritual abilities can see him, but that was somewhat explained in this chapter. That's all for now! R&R please!


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